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Articles 1 - 30 of 32
Full-Text Articles in Philosophy of Language
Do Languages Really Exist?, Robert Stainton, Christopher Viger
Do Languages Really Exist?, Robert Stainton, Christopher Viger
Philosophy Publications
No abstract provided.
Pragmatics In English, By Kate Scott, Robert Stainton
Pragmatics In English, By Kate Scott, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
Book review of Kate Scott's 2023 Cambridge University Press book
Context And Coherence, By Una Stojnic, Robert Stainton, Arthur Sullivan
Context And Coherence, By Una Stojnic, Robert Stainton, Arthur Sullivan
Philosophy Publications
No abstract provided.
"Introduction" To Varieties Of Context-Sensitivity In A Pluri-Propositionalist Reflexive Semantic Framework, Robert Stainton, Arthur Sullivan
"Introduction" To Varieties Of Context-Sensitivity In A Pluri-Propositionalist Reflexive Semantic Framework, Robert Stainton, Arthur Sullivan
Philosophy Publications
This brief introduction to a special issue of Disputatio succinctly summarizes John Perry’s pluri-propositionalist reflexive framework and notes some potential applications to varieties of context-sensitivity.
First-Person Plural Indexicals, Robert Stainton, Arthur Sullivan
First-Person Plural Indexicals, Robert Stainton, Arthur Sullivan
Philosophy Publications
This is a study of an under-developed topic in philosophy of language, namely first-person plural pronouns (‘we’, ‘us’, etc.) Richard Vallee has made very important progress by identifying crucial desiderata and putting forward an ingenious proposal about ‘we’ which addresses them. We contend that, despite this impressive progress, he makes some missteps, both omissions and errors; furthermore, his proposal appears implausible as a personal-level psychological story. We thus sketch an alternative approach to the semantics of the first-person plural indexical which, though it builds on Vallee’s important work, departs substantially from it.
Envisioning Ethical Mass Influence Systems, Alex Mayhew, Yimin Chen, Sarah Cornwell, Nicole Delellis, Dominique Kelly, Liu Yifan, Victoria Rubin
Envisioning Ethical Mass Influence Systems, Alex Mayhew, Yimin Chen, Sarah Cornwell, Nicole Delellis, Dominique Kelly, Liu Yifan, Victoria Rubin
Data and Test Instruments
This work envisions the possibility of ethical Mass Influence Systems (MISs). Modern algorithmic MISs, like Facebook and YouTube, have seen a link between the systems design for profit maximization and the increased radicalization of users (Wu, 2017). Using a Goals analysis grounded in philosophy (Falcon, 2022; Lipton, 1990; Bostrom, 2014), we will contrast the goals of existing algorithmic MISs with the goals of a future ethical algorithmic MIS. With the philosophical guidance of the Moral Parliament (Newberry and Ord, 2021) and the Moral Landscape (Janoff-Bulman and Carnes, 2013), we elaborate on a set of goals and mechanisms for promoting human …
Troubles With Rey's Linguistic Eliminativism, Robert Stainton, Christopher Viger
Troubles With Rey's Linguistic Eliminativism, Robert Stainton, Christopher Viger
Philosophy Publications
We focus on Folieism, Rey’s brand of Eliminativism about languages, according to which words, sentences, phonemes, and such, and consequently languages, do not exist; they are intentional inexistents, on par with unicorns, that speakers, under an ineluctable illusion, mistake as real. We present a simplified reconstruction of his argument, challenge what we take to be its presuppositions, and argue that its conclusion has unwanted social/ethical consequences and construes linguistics writ large in a strange light, as a kind of pretense, leading us to reject Folieism.
Critical Notice Of Words And Contents, Robert Stainton, Arthur Sullivan
Critical Notice Of Words And Contents, Robert Stainton, Arthur Sullivan
Philosophy Publications
Full review of Richard Vallee's 2018 book Words and Thoughts. The article focuses on the explication and critique of John Perry's "pluri-propositional" or "reflexive referential" view, which Vallee applies to a range of context sensitive expressions.
Linguistic Prescriptivism, Alex Barber, Robert Stainton
Linguistic Prescriptivism, Alex Barber, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
No abstract provided.
Depicting Absence: Thematic And Stylistic Paradoxes Of Representation In Visual And Literary Imagery, Alexandra Irimia
Depicting Absence: Thematic And Stylistic Paradoxes Of Representation In Visual And Literary Imagery, Alexandra Irimia
Languages and Cultures Publications
The article draws up an inventory of, and compares strategies for, the theoretical and critical treatment of the absence–presence interplay at stake in the literary and visual representations of absence. This brings to our attention a multiplicity of heterogeneous and, to a greater or lesser degree, marginal signify-ing phenomena that have in common patterns of disrupting and deviating from the standard conventions of creating and conveying meaning through figures of absence. Lacking a name for these disparate yet similar instances where meaning is created from empty signifiers, we have chosen to call them figural voids. This attempt to produce a …
Bad Language, By H. Cappelen And J. Dever, Robert Stainton
Bad Language, By H. Cappelen And J. Dever, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
No abstract provided.
Quasi-Factives And Cognitive Efficiency, Axel Barcelo Aspeitia, Robert Stainton
Quasi-Factives And Cognitive Efficiency, Axel Barcelo Aspeitia, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
We introduce the notion of a "quasi-factive" -- sentences such as 'It isn't widely known that Obama has been arrested', which is true because he hasn't been arrested -- and offer an explanation of why we hear them as if they were factives.
Slurs And Register: A Case Study In Meaning Pluralism, Justina Diaz-Legaspe, Chang Liu, Robert Stainton
Slurs And Register: A Case Study In Meaning Pluralism, Justina Diaz-Legaspe, Chang Liu, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
Most theories of slurs fall into one of two families: those which understand slurring terms to involve special descriptive/informational content (however conveyed), and those which understand them to encode special emotive/expressive content. Our view is that both offer essential insights, but that part of what sets slurs apart is use-theoretic content. In particular, we urge that slurring words belong at the intersection of a number of categories in a sociolinguistic register taxonomy, one that usually includes [+slang] and [+vulgar] and always includes [-polite] and [+derogatory]. Thus, e.g., what distinguishes ‘Chinese’ from ‘chink’ is neither a peculiar sort of descriptive nor …
Emociones, Ofensa Y Registro Sociolinguistico: El Caso De Los “Usos Distantes” De Los Términos Discriminatorios, Justina Diaz Legaspe, Robert Stainton
Emociones, Ofensa Y Registro Sociolinguistico: El Caso De Los “Usos Distantes” De Los Términos Discriminatorios, Justina Diaz Legaspe, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
There is a particular kind of use of slurs in which the negative emotions typically associated with them (hatred, anger) are not present in the occurrence. Even so, these uses still resonate as incorrect or inadequate. This kind of “detached use” is not only an interesting, rarely mentioned phenomenon per se; it also offers some support to a novel approach to slurs based on the sociolinguistic notion of “register”. This paper examines some types of detached uses, extracts some of their essential features and assesses the way the register-based approach to slurs can account for them.
Two Questions About Interpretive Effects, Robert Stainton, Christopher Viger
Two Questions About Interpretive Effects, Robert Stainton, Christopher Viger
Philosophy Publications
We discuss central themes in Lepore and Stone's Imagination and Convention. We begin by laying out their view, and then pose both empirical and methodological criticisms.
Introduction To Discourse, Structure And Linguistic Choice By T. Price Caldwell, Robert Stainton
Introduction To Discourse, Structure And Linguistic Choice By T. Price Caldwell, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
No abstract provided.
Re-Reading Anscombe On 'I', Robert Stainton
Re-Reading Anscombe On 'I', Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
According to a certain ‘Straight Reading’ of Elizabeth Anscombe’s ‘The First Person’, she holds a Radically Non-Referring view of ‘I’. Specifically, ‘I’ is analogized to the expletive ‘it’ in ‘It’s raining’. I argue that this is not her position. Her substantive view on ‘I’, rather, is that if what you mean by ‘referring term’ is a certain rich and recherché Frege-inspired notion, then ‘I’ is not one. Her methodological point is that one shouldn’t be bewitched by language into thinking that ‘I’, because of its syntax and logical role, must exhibit ‘reference’ in this sense. Anscombe uses this insight to …
An Anscombean Reference For I?, Andrew Botterell, Robert Stainton
An Anscombean Reference For I?, Andrew Botterell, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
No abstract provided.
Logical Form And The Vernacular Revisited, Andrew Botterell, Robert Stainton
Logical Form And The Vernacular Revisited, Andrew Botterell, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
We revisit a debate initiated some fifteen years ago by Ray Elugardo and Robert Stainton about the domain of arguments. Our main result is that arguments are not exclusively sets of linguistic expressions. Instead, as we put it, some non-linguistic items have ‘logical form’. The crucial examples are arguments, both deductive and inductive, made with unembedded words and phrases.
Contextualism In Epistemology And Relevance Theory, Mark Jary, Robert Stainton
Contextualism In Epistemology And Relevance Theory, Mark Jary, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
We briefly introduce Contextualism in Epistemology, highlight a linguistic challenge that it seemingly faces, and then describe a Relevance Theoretic response to that challenge. We end by contrasting this view with related ones.
Full-On Stating, Robert Stainton
Full-On Stating, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
What distinguishes full-on stating a proposition from merely communicating it? For instance, what distinguishes claiming/asserting/saying that one has never smoked crack cocaine from merely implying/conveying/hinting this? The enormous literature on ‘assertion’ provides many approaches to distinguishing stating from, say, asking and commanding: only the former aims at truth; only the former expresses one’s belief; etc. But this leaves my question unanswered, since in merely communicating a proposition one also aims at truth, expresses a belief, etc. My aim is not to criticize extant accounts of the state-vs.-merely-convey contrast, but rather to draw on clues from Dummett, functional linguistics and moral …
Cuasi Factivos, Axel Barcelo Aspeitia, Robert Stainton
Cuasi Factivos, Axel Barcelo Aspeitia, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
We introduce a construction which we label 'quasi-factive'. They are heard like factives, in that we immediately take the complement to be true. Yet they aren't really factive at all. Examples include: 'It's not widely known that Marta was born in Canada' (because she was born in Uruguay); 'Don't tell anyone that Carlos will run as a candidate' (because he won't); 'Did it bother Jane that Miguel came?' (no, because Miguel didn't come). We identify sub-categories of our quasi-factives, and then tentatively explore a pragmatic explanation of how they work their magic.
A Deranged Argument Against Public Languages, Robert Stainton
A Deranged Argument Against Public Languages, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
My focus is Q: Are there really such things as public languages? I address an argument for a negative answer, extracted from Davidson’s “A Derangement of Epitaphs”. The argument appeals to an empirically attested phenomena, namely novelty and speech errors in successful conversational interactions, to show that knowledge of public language is neither necessary nor sufficient. Thus public languages have no explanatory role. Continues the idea, one should substitute in place of the convention-centric public language picture an alternative, with Prior and Passing theories. My first rebuttal is that there are senses in which knowledge of public language is necessary, …
Introduction To Linguistic Content, Margaret Cameron, Robert Stainton
Introduction To Linguistic Content, Margaret Cameron, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
No abstract provided.
Brevity, By Laurence Goldstein, Monica Mcmillan, Robert Stainton
Brevity, By Laurence Goldstein, Monica Mcmillan, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
No abstract provided.
Philosophy Of Linguistics, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Of Linguistics, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
Rather than attempting to survey the rich array of topics within Philosophy of Linguistics, this article focuses on two questions: “What kind of thing is Linguistics about?” and “What is the proper evidence-base for Linguistics?” After describing various exclusionary answers, it argues for Pluralism on both fronts: the objects of study in Linguistics are metaphysical hybrids, with physical, mental, abstract and social facets; and evidence from every domain should in principle be welcomed.
Pasolini's Laugh: Joyful Ignorance In The Decameron, Andrea Privitera
Pasolini's Laugh: Joyful Ignorance In The Decameron, Andrea Privitera
Modern Languages and Literatures Annual Graduate Conference
In this paper, I discuss Giovanni Boccaccio's The Decameron and its 1971 film adaptation by Pier Paolo Pasolini. To be more precise, I focus on the fifth novella of the sixth day, the one about Giotto and Forese, and its audiovisual re-elaboration, which can be seen as a very brief and at the same time very vivid example of Pasolini’s ideas on society, language and communication.
Lying, Misleading And What Is Said, By Jennifer M. Saul, Melissa Macaulay, Robert Stainton
Lying, Misleading And What Is Said, By Jennifer M. Saul, Melissa Macaulay, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
No abstract provided.
Introduction To Ellipsis And Non-Sentential Speech, Ray Elugardo, Robert Stainton
Introduction To Ellipsis And Non-Sentential Speech, Ray Elugardo, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
No abstract provided.
Meaning, Creativity And The Partial Inscrutability Of The Human Mind, By Julius Moravcsik, Robert Stainton
Meaning, Creativity And The Partial Inscrutability Of The Human Mind, By Julius Moravcsik, Robert Stainton
Philosophy Publications
No abstract provided.